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So what parties have voters re-registered with since January.

May 12, 2016 - We posted yesterday the party ballots that No Party Preference voters have requested since January. But what about people who have re-registered and selected a different party? There has been a lot of activity since January 1st of this year - here is the breakdown:

American Independent - 841

Democratic - 9,374

Green - 44

Libertarian - 289

No Party Preference - 4,745

Peace and Freedom - 60

Republican - 11,431

All of these voters were previously registered with a party or were declared as No Party Preference.

Breakdown of party ballots requested by No Party Preference voters provides insights

May 11, 2016 - No Party Preference voters (previously known as "Decline to State") have requested to receive tens of thousands of specific party ballots. These voters have three options: 1. Receive a non-partisan ballot (which does not include the presidential contest); 2. Select one of three party ballots (Democratic, American Independent, or Libertarian); or 3. Re-register with the Republican, Green or Peace and Freedom party (and receive a ballot with one of those party ballots).

Look for a postcard soon with updated language on Measure B

May 9, 2016 - Look for a postcard soon in your mail with updated language on Measure B, Orange County's proposal for a Charter amendment to require "Auditor-Controller's Fiscal Impact Statements" on countywide measures. The following sentence was added to reflect the required language in the measure text:

“In preparing the fiscal impact statement, the Auditor-Controller shall not speculate, and shall identify only those fiscal impacts that are readily discernable”

Did you know there are 31 "political parties" in Orange County?

May 7, 2016 - Yes, it's true. There are 31 "political parties" in Orange County (names of political parties used by voters when they registered to vote). But the vast majority are not "qualified" political parties. The process of qualifying a party is lengthy, but essentially it can be done by registering 0.33% of the total number of statewide registered voters in the new party, or gathering 751,398 signatures statewide supporting the party.

That doesn't stop a voter from registering to vote and writing in the name of any "political party" (in fact 1,158 have done so in Orange County). What happens if a voter registers with a non-qualified party? These voters are classified as "no party preference" when it comes to receiving a ballot, which is a non-partisan ballot. The current qualified parties in California are: American Independent, Democratic, Green, Libertarian, Peace and Freedom, and the Republican Party.

May 6, 2016 - We are getting ready to mail vote-by-mail ballots for the June 7th Primary Election next week. We wanted to send this important reminder - don't forget to sign your ballot envelope! Believe it or not, a few thousand voters will forget the final step before mailing - applying their signature. We understand, you're busy. But take just a few moments to remember to sign your ballot. What happens if you forget? We will send you a letter asking you to send in your signature - but if you don't respond within 8 days of Election Day your ballot won't count. So in the interest of making sure your "I Voted" sticker is meaningful - please sign your ballot! Happy voting!

Orange County's Voting Tip of the Day: Party practice ballots are in every voter pamphlet

May 5, 2016 - By now most Orange County voters have received their voter pamphlet (the state mails the state voter guide, which is white in color and we send the County pamphlet, which is yellow in color). We occasionally receive inquiries from voters wondering where their specific party practice ballot can be found, which is an easy answer. We combine all parties into one booklet, which reduces cost and improves efficiencies. These practice ballots are in Section 10 of your Orange County Voters' Pamphlet.

Orange County's Voting Tip of the Day: I need help. Good news - we are only one click away

May 3, 2016 - You have questions, we have answers. We have created a single page to help with 99.9% of voters' questions. For instance, I'd like to request a vote-by-mail ballot, I'd like to request a party's vote-by-mail ballot, or this standard refrain "I'd like to change my party registration". It doesn't matter what type of question, our helpful drop down list of answers to "How do I?" will assist you with your voting questions. We think you'll find what you need - but if you don't give us a call at 714-567-7600 (8am - 5pm). You can find this easy-to-use page on our website by following this link. Happy voting!

Orange County's Voting Tip of the Day: Wait! That's not how I registered!

May 2, 2016 - So you received your sample ballot in today's mail - you turn it over and you discover that your party registration is not how you remember registering. It happens periodically and many times we find that voters did in fact register one way, but remember another (we can look up the original digital copy of your voter registration to determine how you marked the form). Nevertheless, it may be that you intended to register with another party - not to worry. You have until May 23rd to change your registration and request a new ballot. Start with our online voter registration tool and re-register - it will take just a few minutes and you'll be set. Need more help? Give us a call (8am - 5pm) at 714-567-7600 - you'll be answered by a live operator!

Want to track the battle for delegates in Orange County?

April 30, 2016 - Each political party in California has their own rules for how candidates will win delegates on June 7th. What is fairly common though is that they by and large award them based on results from each of California's 53 congressional districts (check each party's website for their specific rules).

Orange County has 6 congressional districts (39th, 45th, 46th, 47th, 48th and 49th). Our new cutting-edge mapping system will allow you to drill down by congressional district on Election Night and see how each candidate did precinct by precinct! Color coded results will make it simple to see who won in each congressional district and more! Check out our beta version now to become familiar with how it works before June 7th!